Blue Dive Port Douglas

★ 5 · Julie Wilson · 2011-03-08

After reading all of the great reviews on Trip Advisor, I decided to book a diving trip with Mark. I was PADI certified in 2007 and dove 3 times in Thailand in 2010 but was definitely a bit anxious about diving again. I wanted to have a personal dive master (since I still feel inexperienced) and Mark seemed like a great choice! He was also the cheapest ($330 as opposed to $500 that all the big boats were offering for a personal dive master). My mom wanted to snorkel so he just charged her $190 (which is what all the boats charge). Since we were staying in Port Douglas he picked us up at 8:15am so board the Calypso boat for a 9am departure. I explained to him my concerns (not diving a lot, problems equalizing my ears) and he was so great to make sure I was comfortable. We had a refresher course so I felt comfortable, went over the equipment and then went over the first dive site. We had a great slow decent and a wonderful dive. He continued to check in with me putting my mind at ease so I could enjoy the dive. After the first dive he told me what I did well and things to keep in mind so I could be more comfortable. On the second and third dive he continued to help me along and also took pictures with his underwater camera, which was great because it was one less thing I had to worry about! All the time he was easy to talk to, very open to questions and had a great sense of humor. I would highly recommend him to ANYONE wanting to learn how to dive, or someone who just wants a great dive master! Management Response from Blue Dive: We would just like to thank the reviewer on her kind and much appreciated comments and we'd like to welcome Julie and her mum back to Port Douglas anyitme. Mark Fraenkel, owner, Blue Dive.